What I’m Watching: Longmire

Longmire: Season 6, Episode 3 “Thank You, Victoria” (B+)

I’m continually impressed that a show like this, which could be the most standard of procedurals, has been able to create such a compelling narrative for its two main protagonists that has truly evolved over the course of its six seasons. Put aside people like Nighthorse and even Branch’s estate that is suing Walt on his posthumous behalf – there are so many people out there who hate Walt that he doesn’t have nearly enough objections during voir dire to be able to discount them all. Pairing the jury selection for that trial with Vic being in the building to witness Chance get his death sentence was a productive setting for an intense and explosive escape, where Chance’s Craiglist audition ad achieved exactly the effect he wanted it to, enabling him to get away while at least a dozen men in suits, red bowties, and gas masks had to be searched and identified. It was much worse that the guard responsible for letting him out wasn’t actually the militia-supporting one but another who had been having an affair and opted to free him in exchange for committing a murder on his behalf to keep his secret. Fortunately, Chance didn’t have much the opportunity to hurt anyone else, and now it seems he’s just going to haunt Vic’s dreams forever since she was the one who ultimately took him down. I like that Walt was bold enough to dress like Chance and ride into the camp with his helmet on to determine that he hadn’t actually arrived yet, and it’s good to see him employing some creative policework. Vic seems to be in a really bad place right now, and let’s hope that both Travis and Walt can give her just the right amount of space to help speed her recovery along.